Alerian Rebrands as VettaFi
LOS ANGELES—VettaFi, a collective asset management brand, launched on May 19 as a combination of ETF Trends, ETF Database, Alerian and SNetwork Global Indexes.
The new brand targets asset managers with a range of services and solutions for investors. On its website, the name is explained as a combination of “vetta” which means “one who knows” or expert in Sanskit, and summit or peak in Italian; and “fi,” short for finance. A second meaning of “vetta” is to vet, or thoroughly investigate something before deciding to move forward.
“This is a very exciting day for all of us who are now part of VettaFi,” said Tom Lydon, vice chairman of VettaFi. “When we first embarked on the journey to create a new brand, we all agreed that our data-driven approach had to be built first and foremost around education for the end-investor. Asset managers can better serve investors when investors have a better understanding of asset management. The work done by the teams behind ETF Trends, ETF Database, Alerian, and S-Network forms a strong educational core from which all our other efforts around indexing, distribution, consulting, and go-to-market strategizing will flow.”
“Our solution line is built for asset managers, yet our reach connects with millions of individual investors; therefore, we view VettaFi as a B-to-B business with B-to-C responsibilities,” added Leland Clemons, who has been recently appointed as CEO of VettaFi. “Our goal is better educated investors, better positioned asset managers and better outcomes for all involved.”
VettaFi aims to be a one-stop resource for asset managers providing:
Data & Analytics: Real-time intelligence on more than 2,900 ETFs from 100+ managers, as well as marketplace demographics and segmentation, Advisor Data Insights, and more;
Indexing: More than 200 customers from around the world use VettaFi’s benchmarks. VettaFi has $14 billion in assets benchmarked to its indexes, which include ESG/SRI, energy infrastructure, thematic investments, factor-based strategies, and dozens of other solutions—including customized approaches;
Thought Leadership: Independent and commissioned research; high-value insights on industry news, trends, and regulation; advisory councils; and commentary spanning the current landscape and the future of finance, featuring experts such as Todd Rosenbluth, Lara Crigger, Tom Lydon, Dave Nadig and Stacey Morris;
Digital Distribution: VettaFi reaches tens of millions of investors annually, including more than 140,000 U.S.-based financial advisors and thousands of institutional investors. Data-driven messaging covers a range of approaches, from ads and social, to email, webcasts and beyond;
Investor Engagement: VettaFi builds connections among advisers, institutions and self-directed investors through in-person and virtual events, CE-accredited educational opportunities, peer-to-peer networks, and other bespoke experiences; and
Go-to-Market Consultation: Services for both new and established asset managers that allows them to outsource or augment in-market execution, develop robust pre-launch and post-launch strategies, optimize tactics, and calculate ROI.
“Each of these areas is essential to the success of a fund family, but for too long they’ve been provided in a siloed manner rather than as a holistic set of solutions,” said Lydon. “With VettaFi, asset managers have, for the first time, the full range of services, from idea generation to go-to-market strategy, to ongoing marketing and distribution; all accessible through a single partner. And not just any partner: Our leadership team has been among the leading voices in the fund ecosystem for decades, forming a collective force unlike any this space has seen to date.”
“At VettaFi, our ‘what’ is unequivocally finance. Our ‘how’ is firmly rooted in technology. Whether it's our proprietary content management system and data warehouse, our industry-leading database, or our proprietary behavioral analytics, we are building a tech-first platform designed to help asset managers and investors succeed in the work-from-anywhere world,” Clemons continued. “As VettaFi, we aspire to be a singularly unique firm, designed to help our existing partners and new partners alike build the most successful fund lineups possible.”
